


To Find Home in Your Touch

by Ayngondaia



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 01:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9149968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayngondaia/pseuds/Ayngondaia
Summary: And thus, he let the tears of happiness roll over his cheeks, and kept Spring in his heart. He longed to be the driving force behind his loved ones, so they could inflict change upon the world. And to be the one to stand behind them, forevermore… that’s how it was always meant to be.





	1. Family - Tiz/Magnolia

**Author's Note:**

> Four months have passed, and thus it's time for another shipweek! This one is winter-themed, and all of these drabbles can also be found here: http://ayngondaia.tumblr.com/tagged/bravelyshipweek
> 
> Enjoy reading! And please, tell me what you think, if you can! I quite enjoy hearing what others think of my work! :>

“Sometimes, I really miss it,” Magnolia began, even before Tiz had handed her a cup of tea. He sat down opposite of her at the table, the familiarity of déjà vu bubbling in the pit of his stomach. She had spoken nothing more than that, but immediately, Tiz knew what she was talking about.

Carefully, he laid his hand on hers, and their eyes met in understanding. “Yeah, me too.”

She swallowed nervously, and stared down into her teacup, watching the hot beverage swirl as she carefully tipped it back and forth ever so slightly. “Your home must’ve been a world apart from mine. There was never a moment of peace and quiet on Fort Lune. Everyone was always training, always preparing… but even when I wasn’t doing anything, I felt so strong. Like I was part of a unit. Of something bigger, and better.”

They spoke in soft voices, not wanting to wake anyone. The Rubadub rocked gently on the waves below, enough to lull anyone asleep.

… Anyone, except Magnolia.

And whenever someone woke, Tiz did as well. Insomnia had ingrained itself into his very being, sadly (and Altair wasn’t helping with his late-night reading sessions, but that aside). He’d heard feet stumbling down the stairs in the dead of night and followed suit, finding Magnolia loitering around the kitchen.

She’d told him she couldn’t sleep - a simple excuse Tiz knew all too well.

He wished he could sit there with her until the morning sun showed its light above the horizon, but he shouldn’t - they had a long day ahead tomorrow, all of them.

No more words were needed. Her cold hand laid in his warm one, and with every stroke of his thumb trailing across her knuckles, worry seeped out of her tense shoulders.

She was the first to break the silence, with a whispered _“thank you”_ , more heartfelt than he’d ever heard before. “For sitting with me, I mean. And listening.”

Should he have welcomed her gratitude with open arms? The question lingered in his mind for a bit. He talked with her, sat with her, not because he needed to - but because he wanted to. But Magnolia seemed much better than before, and thus he couldn’t help but smile. She always found a new way to surprise him, day after day.

“That’s what family does.” The words had left him before his thoughts had gotten the chance to catch up, and he coughed in his fist, pretending her eyes weren’t drilling holes into his head. She seemed taken aback, yet… glad? Relieved? “In a way, the four of us… we’re a unit too?”

… Slowly, her lips pulled into a quivering smile. With one hand, she caught a stray tear rolling over her cheek - and with the other, she strengthened her hold on Tiz’s hand. “Yes… I’d like to believe we are.”


	2. Gift - Magnolia/Agnès

“Actually, Agnès, I have something for you.”

She cast a glance over her shoulder, momentarily pausing with her work to look at the woman behind her. The cold from outside seeped into the Sanctum’s walls, giving the room an apparent chill which caused her to shiver now and then - but it didn’t bother her much.

“What is it, Magnolia?”

“It’s a gift!” she said, the glee in her voice more than enough to make Agnès smile.

“For me?” She turned around fully and took in the sight before her - Magnolia tried (and failed) to hide what she presumed to be her gift. She nodded in excitement, pulling the small package from behind her back.

“Bien sûr! For who else?” She held it between them, waiting for Agnès to take it from her. “Edea told me recently about your tradition of gift-giving during the Winter months, and I immediately knew I wanted to give something to you.”

Agnès took the gift from Magnolia, flipping it over in her hands as warmth spread through her entire being. Certain things on Luxendarc were still new and strange for Magnolia, and for her to go out of her way to get her something… it made her feel so, so incredibly honoured - to be the first person Magnolia had thought of.

… Though, she had done a crummy job at wrapping it… but Agnès quickly reminded herself it was the thought that counted. She pulled off the wrapping paper, and from the mess of ribbons, paper and tape, pulled out a scarf purer than the whitest snow.

Agnès’ gasp of surprise was all Magnolia needed to hear to know she had done her job well. Overjoyed, she asked: “Do you like it? I would’ve made one myself, but I’m… not too confident in my knitting skills yet.” She gave a humble laugh. “Next year, then-”

With a soft kiss to the lips, Agnès cut her off. She pulled back, taking delight in the flustered look on Magnolia’s face.

“I would love that.”

“W-Was that your gift for me?” Magnolia asked, voice still unstable, but filled with joy nonetheless.

Agnès shook her head. At least, it wasn’t the gift she’d prepared beforehand. But she still let out a laugh, because what were the odds?

Unbeknownst to Magnolia, a dark blue scarf laid on her pillowcase at home.


	3. Snowball Fight - Edea/Tiz

To stave off the Winter cold, she gave him a coat - one of Alternis’, an old one he’d worn once, maybe twice. It seemed much warmer to her than a sleeveless… whatever the hell Tiz was wearing.

To inspirit him, she stood by his side as they climbed Central Command. It felt so good to have him next to her again, so calming and familiar it made her realize just how much she had been missing him over the past years.

She did all this, and yet… _and yet_ …!

… They left the building empty-handed. No Agnès, no Kaiser, no nothing.

Yew led the way back to Eternia, tossing ideas back and forth with Magnolia on how to cross the vast ocean between Gathelatio and Harena. Their chatter faded to murmurs in her ears, and she sighed, letting her eyes wander to Tiz. He hadn’t spoken a word to her once the Skyhold had taken off.

His frown was a jarring contrast to the picture of him she had treasured in her mind. She wanted to remember the Tiz who was always smiling, always ready to help out where he could. She did not want to look at the person who was once full of life, trapped inside a metal heart, strapped to wires and tubes and-

Her eyelids shut together tightly. Nope, not now. Just don’t think about it.

She looked at the man again (he seemed older, more mature - but it could be the longer hair playing tricks on her), and decided a frown didn’t suit him. So she lightly tugged on his sleeve, just enough to get his attention.

Tiz turned to her, and those eyes, _those eyes-_

Within a fraction of a second, she remembered them. She knew once again what they looked like, and why she fell in love with them. A thousand beautiful shades of brown, all intense and welcoming as they swirled into a whirlpool of raw emotion.

And she? She was a woman willing to drown.

Leaving his eyes be, she focused on what was really important: turning that frown upside down. She glanced at the two walking ahead of them, and said: “… I know what would make you feel better.”

With vigour, Edea scooped up handfuls of snow and packed it into a ball, ignoring the confused expression Tiz gave her. She looked back at him - and with just one motion of her head towards Yew and Magnolia, a smile appeared on his lips.

The snowball left her hand, travelled in a graceful arch through the sky, and hit a bewildered Yew right in the neck. But, even though an all-out snow war began as a result, it was worth it. The two children, turned hard from the cruel world around them, had been found again, if only for a moment.

For one afternoon, their worries were forgotten… and they would make up for their dilly-dallying to Agnès later.


	4. Cold Mornings - Yew/Edea

The first thing he felt was a pair of hands shaking him, desperately trying to rouse him from slumber. Yew blinked his eyes once, twice, trying with all his might to focus on Edea’s face in the darkness. “Edea, wha-”

“Wake up,” she whispered.

“… I-I’m alrea-”

“You _have_ to see this.”

She left, and went to wait outside for him in the hallway, yet he could hear the impatient tapping of her feet from under the door of his room. The inn was quiet as Florem slept: those few hours at night when most of the day’s hustle and bustle had halted were a gift from the high heavens.

He shrugged on an old sweater over his pajama top, trying not to make a sound. After making sure he hadn’t accidentally woken Tiz, he went outside, closed the door behind him, and said flatly: “It’s the middle of the night.”

“Actually, it’s already morning,” she rebutted, and Yew wished he could roll his eyes if it didn’t mean he’d receive a not-so-friendly punch in the arm. “Besides, I wanted you to see it before the rest.”

That caught Yew’s attention. Her voice sounded… uncertain, maybe even shy - but he’d never say that out loud. If anything, the way she sounded would be a memory for him to hold onto. A memory that would make him think, make him believe there’s more than meets the eye - and he wanted to believe there was. What reason could she have to wake him in the dead of night?

… Actually, he could think of multiple reasons. Trips to the kitchen for a midnight snack being one of them.

“What’s so important, then?” he asked. There was a fragrance of cocoa beans and jasmine tea in the air, just a tinge. Had she already been to the kitchen?

She held out her hand for him. “I’ll show you. You’re gonna love it, I’m sure.”

They tip-toed through the inn as quietly as possible, hands linked and breathing slowed. She led him up a staircase, instructed him to cover his eyes, and sat him down on what felt to be a pillow. He heard curtains being drawn back, and he gained an inkling of what she wanted to show him.

“Okay, now you can look.”

He peeked through his fingers, and gasped quietly. The view from the attic was _fantastic_ : the roof of every house was covered in layers and layers of snow, and white flurries drifted down steadily from the sky. Streetlights shone and bounced their light off of the white blankets, creating an orange glow throughout the city.

Edea plonked down beside him, covering their shoulders with a thick blanket. “See? Told you you’d love it.” She pulled two mugs toward them - one with hot chocolate, the other with tea.

He didn’t reply, only silently took the tea from Edea, and let his eyes wander across the cityscape. He carefully sipped his beverage, feeling the tension disappear from his shoulders the longer they sat there. “It looks just like home,” he whispered, as if anyone could hear them up here. But she whispered as well, so he didn’t feel all that strange doing it.

“Yeah, it does.” She put down her mug, and - wait, when did she finish her hot chocolate? - laid her head on his shoulder. Yew felt warm all of a sudden, and he was certain it wasn’t because of his drink. “I know Eternia is cold, dark and slippery most of the year, but… I do miss it sometimes. Snowstorms and all.”

Her voice was calming, probably the calmest he’d ever heard her speak before, and he let his head rest on hers. He released a sigh, and…

“… I’m happy to know you do too.”

They sat there until dawn, just watching the snow. They spoke no more words.

It was more than they ever could’ve wished for.


	5. Decorating - Tiz/Edea/Magnolia/Yew

It started out pretty simple: just some sentences added here and there, footnotes in clashing colours - sometimes helpful, most of the time bickering with one another.

Because, as Edea had so eloquently put, _“Yew’s diary is now everyone’s diary!”_ , and within less than a second, Yew knew he could kiss those academic, orderly entries he was looking forward to writing goodbye.

Soon, they began to use his journal more like a scrapbook than anything. Cut-outs of brochures, postcards, pressed flowers and cool-looking feathers - they all found their way between the pages. One day, he asked them if they could stay serious, perhaps view his journal as a research project, but Edea laughed in reply.

“We’re just decorating it! Y'know, making it look prettier?”

“It’s already pretty enough on its own, thank you,” he replied. There was no more saving his journal (sadly), but he could still try to salvage the remaining blank pages.

“But you draw pictures in it as well,” Magnolia said, and Yew felt embarrassing realization colour his cheeks.

He crossed his arms, turned his eyes away, and said: “That’s something different. That’s for research purposes.”

“What if we tone it down a bit?” Tiz suggested to the girls, always the one who tried to find the middle ground. “How about that, Yew?”

They kept to their promise for a while, but over time the pages were plastered full of souvenirs once again. Frosti and Alraune-shaped stickers found their way to the front cover (one always seemed to miraculously appear when he wasn’t looking). But now, some months later, Yew couldn’t say he minded. They actively searched for items to put in between the pages, they discussed which post cards were _just_ right to complement the entry - and really, who was he to take away their fun?

It filled him with a sense of… love? Yeah, he supposed it was. They spent so much time on their decorations, time on something that was important to _him_. With every new silly doodle, he fell in love all over again. Both with their work, and with them (even if he was too shy to say it out loud).

One night, he found himself doodling, idly allowing his pencil to glide across the paper. There was no scientific purpose to this drawing. This time, he drew because he wanted to.

Sure, his journal didn’t look like what he initially intended it to be. No, now it looked better than he could’ve ever dreamed of, for alongside the facts stood memories, and those were a million times more valuable than any encyclopedia could ever wish to be.

He looked down at his hand, and noticed he’d sketched four people. Arm in arm, with smiles brighter than the sun.

With a smile, he blew out the candle on his desk and went to bed. He’d colour it in tomorrow.


	6. Ice Skating - Agnès/Edea

Though it was difficult for her to admit, the nerves were eating her up inside. But, despite all odds, she tried to remain calm. Edea was an anchor she could hold onto, an immovable rock that would hold her up no matter what.

Incidentally, it was her voice that shook Agnès out of her fear-laden mind, and blew life back into her tense muscles.

“Agnès? It’s okay, I got you.”

She stumbled back onto the blades of her skates, hands clutching the fabric of Edea’s coat as if her life depended on it. “I-I apologize-” she started, but Edea was quick to silence her with a kiss on the forehead, just a peck. She pulled the girl back up onto her feet, steadying her by the middle.

“Don’t sweat it, it’s only your first time. Now, what you wanna do is shift your balance…” She adjusted her hold, and Agnès felt a lump forming in her throat as a result. She silently smacked herself on the forehead. Honestly, why would she get embarrassed from their closeness, but not from a kiss?

Edea’s instructions went in one ear and out the other as she racked her brain for an explanation. A kiss was something personal, but so was a hug. And though their closeness just a minute ago didn’t look much like a hug, it still left her feeling warm - even in the bitter cold that whizzed past her cheeks.

“Did you get that?”

“… Huh?”

… _Perhaps_ she should’ve paid attention.

“Just follow my lead,” Edea said amusedly, taking hold of Agnès’ hands. She skated backwards, slowly pulling Agnès towards her, and lo and behold: she was actually skating much better than before. Her skills were still far below that of an expert, but somehow, Edea’s trust in her had made her feel… confident. It didn’t matter how many times she fell, because Edea knew she would get right back up again.

And as she skated, she realized: the prospect of hugging, kissing and doing other things like that… it didn’t delight her _because_ they were so close, and pure joy laid only a few inches away. It was the idea of what _could_ be - they could be hugging, could be kissing - only if she dared to make the next move.

So she held back the urge to hold Edea, let her know just how much she appreciated her, for when they would be standing back on solid ground (because if there was _anything_ she didn’t wish to do, it was lose her footing… and ruin the moment).


	7. Spring - Ringabel/Agnès/Tiz/Edea

A light spring breeze brushed past his cheeks through the inn window. Soft snores filled his ears, yet he himself couldn’t sleep - there was just too much on his mind. For there was only warmth surrounding him - warmth, caused by a plethora of feelings.

Agnès laid against his right arm, Tiz against his left, and Edea rested against his chest. And he? He was at the center of it all, in the embrace of what could only be described as love.

Everyone had been much too exhausted after a day of awakening crystals, fighting beasts and helping the locals. They deserved rest, certainly, but Ringabel believed his friends would rather have fallen asleep in their bed, not against _him_.

They had sat there against the headboard, lazily talking about their day. Well, that is, until Agnès let her eyelids fall shut, and Edea followed suit not even seconds later. Tiz had tried to stay awake, but eventually even he had to give in to the temptation of sleep.

So here he was now. Sitting against a wall, trapped in place by three people using him as a pillow. Honestly, he wished he could find something good to say about the situation.

But it was still… nice. Uncomfortable, sure, but even though his arms tingled from bad blood circulation, he was still content. They could’ve never been able to sleep like this at the start of their journey. They _trusted_ him enough to do something like this, and he still couldn’t wrap his head around that.

Sleep tugged on his eyelids, and he kept them open by willpower alone. Maybe it would be wise to catch a few winks before the dawn. He should also close the window, but alas. Ah well, the steady breeze was refreshing.

Spring melted the snow outside, and brought change with it.

And thus, he let the tears of happiness roll over his cheeks, and kept Spring in his heart. He longed to be the driving force behind his loved ones, so they could inflict change upon the world. And to be the one to stand behind them, forevermore… that’s how it was always meant to be.


End file.
